President of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, delivered a powerful statement at the GAVI Global Summit in Brussels, calling for renewed global commitment to health equity and immunisation access for all children, regardless of where they are born.
Addressing world leaders and health advocates, President Bio emphasized that “health through immunisation is not a privilege, it is a right,” urging nations to treat access to vaccines as a matter of justice, not charity. He highlighted Sierra Leone’s achievements in expanding immunisation, including the introduction of the malaria and HPV vaccines and maintaining over 90% coverage of key childhood vaccines, among the highest in the region.
“These investments have halved child mortality and built stronger, more resilient communities,” he noted, adding that every vaccine delivered represents “a child protected, a family spared from grief, and a health worker empowered.”
President Bio also addressed recent health threats, including Sierra Leone’s response to an MPOX outbreak, drawing lessons from past experiences with Ebola and COVID-19. He reiterated his government’s commitment to increasing domestic health investment and strengthening partnerships, even as global aid landscapes evolve.
Praising GAVI’s new five-year strategy (GAVI 6.0), the President said it offered hope for a future where no child dies from preventable diseases due to poverty or geography.
“We must protect the gains we have made and push further,” he urged. “Health is not a privilege for the fortunate; it is a right for everyone.”
The summit, co-hosted by GAVI, the European Union, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, brought together global stakeholders to align strategies on vaccine equity and sustainable health systems.
